Toronto is home to nearly 2.5 million people, the majority of whom seem to believe their city, Canada’s largest, runs at approximately the same temperature as ours.

They’re right if NYC life revolves around windy Battery Park — and you really don’t understand Celsius. But though it’s far from tropical up there on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario, there are plenty of reasons “El Toro” (in 2011, this nickname was floated) is hot. Toronto was sure-footed during the economic crisis, opening many hotels, restaurants and art galleries, with more in the works.

The CN Tower and museums like the gorgeous Frank Gehry-redesigned Art Gallery of Ontario (the starchitect was born in Toronto, by the way) are mainstays, but they’re old news. So we’ll direct you to the South Street Seaport-reminiscent Distillery District and 401 Richmond, the appealingly renovated warehouse that’s home to more than 100 artists.

And this is just part of the city’s new heat. Here are some of the best reasons to take the easy 90-minute flight to a city where everything is just foreign enough to let you know you did in fact need your passport, without the hassle of changing time zones or languages.

Monkey’s Paw

“If your pocket is heavy [in Canada],” says Stephen Fowler, “you can go to lunch.” The owner of dust-less secondhand bookstore Monkey’s Paw is talking about $1 and $2 Canadian coins — you’ll accumulate them while in town. But don’t just use them for food. In October, Fowler unveiled “the world’s first and only antiquarian book randomizer,” a vending machine that spits out a random book (no fiction, paperbacks, or anything younger than 25) for a toonie ($2 coin). For book-lovers who want to take a chance— that’s what secondhand book shopping is all about anyway — this is a little one-of-a-kind thrill not to miss. It’s a brilliant way to rejuvenate a dying trade. 1229 Dundas St. West, monkeyspaw.com

West Queen West Art Walk

If you’re independent-minded — about everything from couture to coffee — head west of Bathurst on Queen Street West. Wander on your own across this 2-kilometer stretch (about 15 New York blocks) or join culture maven Betty Ann Jordan, who’s smart, thoughtful, enthusiastic and sweet. “Hello, art and design tour coming through,” announces Jordan as she walks in and out of the area’s galleries and boutiques. Best part: Jordan tailors each tour to your desires. Want more shoes? Photography? Furniture? She’ll get you to the right places. Reservations: 416-979-5704; tours start at the Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. West, artinsite.net

Rashers

The ideal-for-sightseeing pace of the 501 Queen Streetcar ($3 single ride; $10.50 day pass includes buses and subway) can get you to the far western and eastern reaches of Toronto. Hop on for a ride into Leslieville, where 2-month-old Rashers is making sandwiches with of one of three cuts of bacon. You’re familiar with strip (belly), so go native with a Hogtown Sandwich ($6.64); it’s loaded with peameal bacon (loin), what we call “Canadian.” Then there’s the rasher, British bacon, essentially a combination of strip and peameal — so good you won’t believe this is the first restaurant outside of the UK dedicated to its worship. 948 Queen St. East, rashers.ca

Natrel Rink at the Harbourfront Centre

We can’t think of a more picturesque, easy-to-access public skating area than the Natrel Rink, right on the shore of Lake Ontario. Dress appropriately and you’ll fall in love with Canada in winter. Never been on skates? Call ahead for a Learn to Skate lesson, $35 (skate and helmet rental, $11). Once you pass the initial Learn to Fall test (just let yourself go, difficult as it might be), you’ll be gliding in no time. Rely on the jagged front of your skates, however, and forever be branded a “toe-picker.” That’s a crime here. 235 Queens Quay West, harbourfrontcentre.com

Hockey Hall of Fame

The NHL lockout is over, so it’s time to get excited about hockey again. Besides old jerseys and posters and the Stanley Cup (in a church-like room, of course), the Hockey Hall of Fame has incredibly entertaining interactive games. For “Shoot Out,” you use a real stick and pucks against a life-sized, computer-generated goalie, across an ice-less rink. And even if you don’t know the difference between a wrist shot and a slap shot, you might walk away going three for five. 30 Yonge St.; 416-360-7735, hhof.com

In the neighboring Club District, chef Koji Tashiro has been modernizing classic Japanese sushi at intimate JaBistro for a little more than a month. Here, modern means things like “aburi” (quickly blow-torching, which adds a touch of color and flavor, $27 for seven pieces) and “oshizushi” (pressed into a tight layered block, like a Neapolitan, from $14). And the fish JaBistro uses is among the freshest and best you’ll find. If you like your sushi straight up, let Tashiro — who once worked at Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji fish market — guide you. 222 Richmond St. West; 647-748-0222, jabistro.com

For more information on Toronto, visit seetorontonow.com.

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We’re fans of the 259-room Four Seasons Hotel Toronto (rooms from $497, 60 Yorkville Ave., fourseasons.com/toronto), which opened last fall in the fashionable Yorkville area. It manages to feel like a boutique property with its smart design (the lobby is really a series of small spaces) and outstanding service.